Life Without Michael: Reflections on“The Office”
in Transitionby Chloe LizotteWhether it’s the comic strip Dilbert, a feature film like “Horrible Bosses” or a TV show like “The Office,” we can sometimes learn a lot about how we act and how we appear by stepping back and taking a humorous look at our business selves. Such reflection can quickly become addictive if the fictional characters involved speak to us, even in their own special and bizarre way. This article recounts how it can feel when one such addiction gets taken away from us, i.e., Steve Carell’s departure from “The Office.”

Corporate Face: The Five Masksby Naseem JavedCorporate masks are just
like real people, some are exciting and some boring, some you remember and some
you forget, some you like and some you simply don’t. Whether you like it or not,
at this very moment, your corporate mask is out there on the block, fully exposed
and it’s being judged by the global markets.

Would Getting the Economy On Track Give Us a
Free Pass Out of the Federal Budget Mess?by Scott Bittle and Jean JohnsonIt looks like the country might finally be gearing up to tackle our massive federal deficits and growing federal debt. If history is any guide, serious debate about unpleasant things like cutting popular programs and raising taxes will be accompanied by plenty of people hawking miracle cures that will take away our pain.

Playing Roulette With the Country's Futureby Scott Bittle and Jean JohnsonIt's no secret that the most bipartisan position in Washington has been the determination of both parties to live beyond our means for decades. And outside of government, public frustration is high, but realism remains low. The trouble with roulette is that the house nearly always wins, and players who don't know when to quit lose their shirts. What American needs now is leadership that understands when it's time to leave the roulette table and leave the gambling to others.

The Wired and Unemployed Citizenryby Naseem JavedThe complexity of this global crisis cannot be ignored, but neither
the pain nor the agony it is causing the entire world. All of us are being directly
affected, population-rich or experience-rich, with sharp or dull image, good
or bad, and we all have to raise our voices and share our opinions.

The 21st Century Workplace --
Are Women the New Men?by Ella L. J. Edmondson Bell, Ph.D.It has been widely reported that for the first time in history, women are less than a percentage point away from making up the majority of the national workforce. The economic downturn has hit men harder. They held nearly 80 percent of jobs that have been lost during what is now being called the "mancession." So what does this new female-dominated workplace mean for the corporate culture and the nature of work?

The Great Credit Bubbleby Mark GilbertWhere did the money come from? Where did it go? How was this allowed to happen? Who is to blame? These are the key questions surrounding the credit crunch that has engulfed the global financial system. As to how it was allowed to happen and who is to blame, in a sense the honest reply is that we all allowed it to happen, and we're all to blame, either as active accomplices or complicit bystanders.

Six Reasons the United States Needs to Get Its Energy Act Togetherby Scott Bittle and Jean JohnsonWe don't know exactly what the price of gas will be by the time you have this book in your hands, but whether it's high, low, or somewhere in between, the fact of the matter is just the same: this country faces a huge, complicated, and scary energy problem.
Not only is it huge, complicated, and scary, it's daunting for most of us because it's nearly impossible to understand unless you're some kind of full-time energy wonk.

China as the Global Warming Bridezilla -- and America's Handy Excuse for Dawdlingby Scott Bittle and Jean JohnsonAs far as the rest of the world is concerned, both China and the United States are the "bridezillas" of global warming: demanding, entitled and almost unimaginably self-absorbed. This stalemate is one of the main obstacles to negotiating a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen this December.

Why Are We Moving Toward Socialized Medicine?by Dr. Yaron BrookPrior to the government’s entrance into medicine, health care was regarded as a product to be traded voluntarily on a free market--no different from food, clothing, or any other important good or service. Medical providers competed to provide the best quality services at the lowest possible prices. Virtually all Americans could afford basic health care, while those few who could not were able to rely on abundant private charity.

Challenge Your Existing Beliefs: Seek to Disprove What You Know to Be Trueby Cary Gutbezahl, MDRecently published research in the Archives of Internal Medicine has attracted attention because it concludes that small gifts influence physician choice of medications. I am certain that this study will be used to justify future public and organizational policy decisions. It’s time to stand up and scream “Foul!”

Hospital Readmissions: Federal Policy Must Stop Interfering with System Thinkingby Cary Gutbezahl, MDThere has been much recent attention to the high cost associated with readmissions. It seems clear that the policy makers are seeking to hold hospitals responsible for preventing readmissions. Holding hospitals accountable is a classic example of failed management-thinking in which the absence of facts is filled by assumptions.

Ayn Rand's Renaissanceby Dr. Yaron BrookThe U.S. economy is in shambles. Government intervention into the economy is increasing by the day. Americans are alarmed and desperate for answers: What caused the crisis? What is the solution? That might sound like a description of today's world, but in fact it's sketch of the world of Ayn Rand's 1957 classic novel Atlas Shrugged.

Success Isn't Easy, and It's Not Self-Sustainableby Richard E. GoldmanIt's clear that the work part of your life is going to take center stage. And once that you've entered that arena, the next hurdle is management -- both management of yourself and yourself as a manager. After all, one day, somehow, some way, you will be called upon to manage. There is no time like the present to start preparing.

Health Care Reform and the Elephant in the Room: Personal Responsibilityby Cary Gutbezahl, MDWhen an organization has a performance problem, managers seek information to identify and assess the causes of the performance failure. Similarly, an analysis of a social problem should require policy analysts to identify and assess all significant contributors to the social problem. Our public discussion on health care reform has failed to meet this expectation.

Getting Through - How Corporate America
Can Earn Back Trustby Mark Goulston, M.D.Deception compounded by elaborate schemes to cover up and prevent detection ravage the emotional trust at the core of investors, shareholders, employees and ultimately erode public confidence and faith. There is a way to repair the damage wrought by corporate transgressions. Be forewarned. This solution is not for the faint of heart or the uncommitted.

Women at Work: Employing the Powerful Feminineby John ReneschThe economic/business/organizational system is still lopsided and really needs balancing. The traits of the feminine are sorely needed now more than ever to bring us back to some semblance of wholeness and sustainability. This isn’t just a nice idea or a politically correct one or even about justice. Balancing the economic system is essential to sustaining human life on this planet!

We’re Doomed!by Stephen BalzacJust listening to a barrage of negative news is enough to subtly shade our decision making toward fear. The decision to not take a risk on a new product or to not aggressively invest in the business becomes that much easier. So if the answer is not playing ostrich, and it’s not toughing it out, what does work?

Has Bad Behavior Irreparably Damaged the Title CEO? Fortunately “Good” CEOs Are Still Out Thereby Suzanne BatesDay after day we’re being pummeled by news of bad CEO behavior, so much that you have to conclude that America’s business executives are incapable of getting the message--its time for restraint. Has the title of Chief Executive Officer been irreparably damaged by all this news? In the court of public opinion, yes – no question – the title has lost respect. Yet, across America, there are countless CEOs who are doing the right thing, i.e., rolling up their sleeves and working hard to keep their companies on course.

2009 America's New Deal with Capitalism Part Iby Tom SchinkelLast year may very well go into history as the year most everybody wants to forget. What started in 2007 as a seemingly obscure set of problems in the arena of sub-prime mortgage lending morphed into a much larger banking crisis that culminated in the now infamous $800 billion banking sector bailout request to Congress last September. But how big is the crisis? Will a stimulus package of $700 billion fix the problem?

2009 America's New Deal with Capitalism Part IIby Tom SchinkelIn Part One of America's New Deal with Capitalism, I concluded that the economic crisis that has enveloped us all had a scope in the range of $9 trillion, that this was a lot of money and that it was accompanied by an even more severe crisis, and that was a crisis of trust. In this second part of the series, I will first outline an alternate set of action steps that I believe are necessary to arrive at a solution. Then I will outline the benefits of such a new way of thinking.

Political Integrity: An Example Out of Africaby Philip YaffeWe live in a cynical age where the values of truth, honesty and integrity seem to be in short supply. We are therefore always looking for examples of such values in action, especially with regard to politicians. I would like to offer you such an example from Africa. You have probably never heard of this man, but for me he stands as a true model of integrity. It's not Nelson Mandela, but Mr. Mandela would certainly be proud to have his name mentioned in the same breath with him. His name is Julius Nyerere.

Business is Too Bigby Jay EwingNot to say, “I told you so”, but I did.
Business is too big. Period.
The chronicles of some of America’s most famous and enormous institutions come readily to mind.

America: Export Nation?by Thomas SchinkelAmerican manufacturers with innovative and leading-edge, high-quality products have a splendid opportunity to gain and regain world markets. Indeed, if present trends continue, my sense is that within the next five years the US will be going through a metamorphosis from a “Consumer-centric Society” to an “Export-centric manufacturing nation.”

The Positive "R" Wordsby Naseem JavedThe Recession of America, spreading it wings towards Europe and Asia, all the way to the farthest corners of the world is nothing to be either afraid or surprised of. Previous recessions have clearly taught us some very valuable lessons, as this time around, the application of the right game plan may offer you a winning streak. This is how.

I Contemplated Suicide Again: This Time by Inhaling During a PowerPoint Presentationby Kenny MooreI recently gave a business talk at a swanky New York City hotel and got robbed by one of the attendees. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised: it was a gathering of entrepreneurs. I was there to talk about a book that I recently co-authored: The CEO and the Monk: One Company’s Journey to Profit and Purpose. I’m the “monk” side of the story, having spent 15 years in a monastic community as a Catholic priest before venturing into the world of business. Actually, the work’s proven to be quite similar, except the pay’s now a lot better.

Today's
Complacency Is Tomorrow's Casualtyby Tom Nies,
CEO, Cincom Systems, Inc.Manufacturing principles and processes have been the proving ground for technologies
that are now scaling business and industries worldwide, delivering better
competitive strengths, insights and the ability to successfully compete, and
doing it profitably, more so than ever before. So look and learn.

Fatal
Reasonablenessby John ReneschIn my view, we have never before been in such need for unreasonableness as
the present day. Reasonableness is literally killing us. We are allowing things
to go unchecked, uncorrected and unchallenged because we refuse to get unreasonable
in our demands for a fully functional, peaceful and sustainable society.

One
World, Indivisibleby John ReneschWe
are taking our opinions far too seriously when we put our prejudices and
ideologies ahead of people. There is nothing wrong or unhealthy with contention,
debate and even argument as long as it is in the context of respect and
relationship with the other person. Let’s reach out to those who have different
viewpoints. Nothing will change unless we do.

The
Tyranny of My Egoby John ReneschI
know I haven’t mastered enlightenment. Perhaps I never will. All I know
to do is catch myself when I leave, choose to wake back up, and re-engage
life again, fully awake.

The
Generation for Technolog"Y"by Dr. Wayne
L. BrockThe technologically savvy Generation Y has entered as the fourth generation in the workforce. Specific strategies implemented in an organization will ensure the Generation
of Technolog'Y" is valued and retained for maximum retention, effectiveness,
and efficiency.

Give
Me Liberty or Give Me an IPO?by Steve KayserWhy would a company forego all of the glamour, fanfare,
and wealth that a well-publicized IPO would generate? The case for remaining
a Private Company.

Living
and Working Between Paradigmsby John ReneschWe are presently in the midst of a major paradigm shift
in the way we human beings think, the way we think about each other and our
world, the way we experience reality. Not what we think about but how we think.

Heaven
or Hell: A Corporate Parableby Moshe KrancRabbi Haim of Romshishok was an itinerant preacher.
He traveled from town to town delivering sermons that stressed the importance
of respect for one's fellow man. He often began his talks with a story that
applies as much to the corporate environment as to any other social setting.

Help
Wanted: Vice President of Courageby John Renesch“A time comes when silence is betrayal,” said Martin
Luther King, Jr. “Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of
the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony,
but we must speak.”

Getting
to God: A Radical Idea for Business Leadersby John ReneschIt seems as if mastery of any endeavor - be it a profession
or an avocation - leads one to an intimate, personal experience of the transcendent.
They all reach a place where they meet the Divine in some form.

Working
in America: Killing Ourselves at Workby John ReneschThis is not a diatribe about working hard. There is
nothing unhealthy or wrong with hard work. It is the nature of the relationship
between people and their work, and the resultant stress it produces, that
is killing them.

Telling
the Truthby Byron KaliesA simple phrase I picked up on a training course a few
years ago has solved so many problems. You don't believe me? Try it. "When
in doubt, tell the truth. When not in doubt, tell the truth."

Immortality
- The Driving Force Behind the Legend!by Navin V. NagiahSome achievers stretch the limits of the possible and
then go beyond that. Their contributions and accomplishments defy description.
Their accomplishments are treasured for centuries. They are revered long after
their time! What drives them?

Deepening
the Dialogue: Appreciating Collective Resonanceby John ReneschOur better future can only be created by radical transformation
worldwide, not incremental changes. While I do not have the magic recipe for
bringing about this transformation, I do know that being in authentic dialogue
with one another is a key ingredient to bringing it about.

Okay,
Now What?by John ReneschWe are living through a mucky time - a time of uncertainty, chaos, and insecurity
- conditions that most people avoid and fear. We are between paradigms - and
nothing looks familiar or certain or secure. Nothing works the way things
used to.

Who
Stole My Soul? How Working People Can Recover from the Great Disconnectby John ReneschThe
Wall Street scandals are forcing us all to look at where our moral compass
has gone. Perhaps we can venture out to those abandoned warehouses and find
all those withering and dusty consciences and breathe new life into them.
Perhaps we can reawaken our inner sense of right and wrong and repossess our
souls.

To
Win, Avoid Losingby Bob Ferchat
and Tony CarlsonSince there generally is only one winner at a time, maybe a better strategy
would be to have a conscious goal not to lose. Quite a different approach,
but one worth considering in business and in life.

What
Do You Want to be Caught Dead Doing?by Kenny MooreEven though I'm aware that I can buy my coffin ahead of time on the web and
realize considerable savings, I still avoid the transaction. However, my monastic
roots are starting to resurface in peculiar ways.

Living
the Legacy of 9/11by Marc TrezzaExecutive coaches and Crisis Managers are finding a growing percentage of
our business is devoted to clients who need coaching on quality of life issues
as much as management issues. For the business leader suffering from post
9/11 issues, what can be done for those for whom you are responsible, or for
yourself?

The
Power Of Impossible Dreamsby Bob Ferchat
and Tony CarlsonMost of us have contact with someone who is fighting a heroic battle in this
war of survival. These people are not necessarily glamorous or famous. But
theirs is a battle nevertheless. And each victory is as much about the spirit
and the desire to win as it is about the chemistry or the physical patch and
sew.

Seduced
by Serial Ideologiesby Bob Ferchat
and Tony CarlsonFashion,
it must be said, does not thrive just on the runways of Paris. It's alive
and well, for better or worse, in the boardrooms, executive suites and business
think tanks of the world.

Hold
Up Your Handby Bob Ferchat
and Tony CarlsonWe
are all taught in school that if we want to be listened to - or at least recognized
- we should hold up a hand. Most of us also have been exposed to the classic
fairy tale of The Emperor's New Clothes. Now think Enron and Global Crossing
and ask who let this happen.

Back
To Basicsby
Bob Ferchat and Tony CarlsonThis article explores a range of key questions, requests for information and
analyses a corporate board members should consider bringing to bear on the
company whose owners he or she represents.

Soften
Your Focus: Find Opportunity @ the Peripheryby Bob Ferchat
and Tony CarlsonBusiness
schools and management texts are famous for creating the mythology that rules
the boardroom. Who
could argue with such motherhood? Well, we could. Because business, like life
itself, is often stranger than fiction.